Queen grants William Scotland's top honour to strengthen Royal family's ties north of the border and keep kingdom united

'A clear message': William proudly displays his new Order of the Thistle among his other decorations

Prince William has been presented with the Order of the Thistle, the highest honour in Scotland, in a bid to strengthen the Royal Family’s ties north of the border.

The move officially comes as part of his 30th birthday celebrations – but the timing ahead of a proposed referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 is hugely significant.

William wore the insignia during yesterday’s Trooping The Colour to mark the Queen’s official birthday.

The honour is in his grandmother’s gift – and she presented it to him in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Friday. An official service will take place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh next month.

It means that both the first and second in line to the Throne are now Knights of the Thistle which, insiders say, underlines the Queen’s commitment to keeping the Union of England and Scotland intact.

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers said: ‘It is significant because it connects William formally with Scotland. He will now wear the Thistle and the Garter to official engagements. The Queen is doing her best to strengthen William’s ties with Scotland.’

The Prince already has links with Scotland; he attended St Andrews University, where he met his wife Kate Middleton, and the couple are regular visitors to Balmoral.

There are currently 16 members of the Order Of The Thistle, which is second only to the Order Of The Garter. The Prince of Wales, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, was given the order during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.

A spokesman for William said: ‘The Duke was presented with the insignia by the Queen on Friday at a private audience, accompanied by The Prince of Wales.’

The Queen's flypast circled over the Olympic site in Stratford, east London

Crowds returned to the Mall to watch the Trooping of the Colour, less than a fortnight after the Jubilee

As well as the Thistle, William will also receive £10 million when he turns 30 on Thursday – the final settlement from his mother’s will. Aides say the Prince, who earns £44,000 as an RAF pilot, has no immediate plans to spend the inheritance.

William is expected to celebrate his birthday quietly with family and friends – unlike his father, who held a lavish party at Buckingham Palace attended by European royalty.

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After saluting the Queen at the Trooping The Colour for her official 86th birthday, William joined other senior Royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave at crowds and watch an RAF flypast. It was also the first public appearance for Prince Philip since being hospitalised by a bladder infection.

The 91-year-old appeared in good spirits, remaining standing for most of the events, with the only concession to his health being the use of a glass carriage, rather than an open one, to protect against the elements.